Mika’s “Big Girls” - Affirming or Offensive?
There was an interesting post over at too fat for fashion about Mika releasing a new single, “Big Girls” - apparently a celebration of fat women. This was posted about back in April over on Fatshionista, as well as in the forums at Big Fat Blog (registration required), but to summarize - there are some significant problems with hailing Mika as a champion for fat lib/fat feminism. For example?
As Paul mentioned in his post, the lyrics of the song evoke the same tired stereotypes that have persisted for years about fat women - namely, of course, that we spend all our time drinking soda and eating pizza. The song starts with the sound of what seems to be someone sipping something through a song, and then Mika tells us that a fat chick walks into a room and orders “Diet coke and a pizza please,” to which Mika replies, “.” Paul’s response to this part of the song is pretty on-the-mark:
…his guy is screaming (screaming!) that these girls are beautiful so… they… order a regular Coke? Lame.
Ugh. Then, of course, there’s that infantilization that happens with fat people, where instead of being a “big woman” or a “fat man” we become “big girls” and “big boys.” And then there’s the fact that fat women are only supposed to be with fat men - “a whole lot of woman needs a whole lot more.” More what? Man? Non-diet coke? Crappy glam pop? I guess if you’re Mika, the answer is all of the above. Regardless if you’re, you know, a dyke.
I think a lot of my problem with Mika, and his song “Big Girls,” is that I find myself frustrated with the fact that even if he genuinely tried to be fat-pos, he missed the mark, really, really missed the mark. He ends up playing on some tired fat fag hag stereotype, performing what Emilytbm describes in the Fatshionista post above as being the
friend who keeps trying to tell you, “Oh you’re not fat, you’re beautiful!” and I’m all, “Yeah, I’m BOTH actually.”
You can see it in this video of one of his performances of the song - near the end, he has a “big girl” in a corset come parade around stage, but for what purpose? To legitimize his claim that big girls really are beautiful? To show that, hey, Mika really likes big girls - he’ll even let one on stage! To give yet another example of right bodies, thereby further enforcing the idea that there is, in fact, a right body? Frankly, if that’s Mika’s message of fat lib - that fat chicks should drink coke, eat pizza and celebrate how much better than skinny chicks they are - I’d rather he stayed out of fat lib together.
It’s like that Lo Rider video a while back; just because you sing about fat chicks doesn’t mean you’re not still enforcing the same old normative body BS, and parading gorgeous fat chicks doesn’t accomplish anything other than… well, parading women’s bodies around for display. And that is anything but progressive.
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The criticisms of my students would serve as a good warning to visitors of Seeworthy: she talks too fast, she's too hard on us, she assigns too much work, and you have to be a dyke to get a good grade.
In other words, I'm a big, fat, queer, feminist meanie, and I am totally out to get you. Graaagh!
Well I read the first bit and I coulden’t be bothered to read the rest. Honestly, all you idiot reporters never even CHECK to see WHY a song was written. Have you by any chance HEARD one of his interviews where he clearly states what he wrote this song about? Obviously not. Thickos. I bet your all over shit like Girls Aloud and Sugababes whereas when theres someone who can WRITE their OWN songs and music everyone hates them. Theres more people who like MIKA than there are of idiots like you.
And anyway, this whole hating him thing is so old and pathetic. Haden’t you better go and find some new popstar who’s actually doing something great to slag off?
Pardon? I’m not an idiot reporter… if anything, it’d be far more accurate to call me an idiot student or an idiot academic.
And I appreciate your, er, “point” I suppose. And no, I haven’t heard any of his interviews, but I don’t particularly feel like I have to hear an interview to be able to judge a work as, well, crap.
And really, you know, good for Mika for doing his own thing, forging a new style of music, not imitating anybody (other than Freddie Mercury, of course). I’m always happy to see another queer musician making it big, and I don’t have anything personal against Mika. I just wish, if he wanted to make an “anthem” for fat chicks or to honor fat women in some way, he did it… better.
I think what ever tactic Mika took on this he was bound to alienate some people from the song, purely because it is such a “touchy” subject at the moment. But I like it. I used to be a “big girl” and it makes me chuckle - partly because I do remember ordering Pizza or Burgers with a diet coke. But his music always makes me feel happy and good. All a question of taste I guess
I agree with Eliza. Mika makes me feel so good and happy.
Oh and by the way I’m a big girl too and well into my 50’s but people say Im still beautiful. Wow big, old and beautiful. Mika I’m all yours.
Ah, it’s just a song. I am a big girl and I didn’t find a thing offensive about it. I like it and I think his lyrics are being misinterpreted. But not everyone is going to like it and that’s fine too.
If you want to judge the song as crap that’s fine. But that doesn’t make it necessarily offensive - unless you are speaking of being offended as a music lover.
He was just calling it as he saw it and it’s unfortunate if those observations confirm a stereotype. Mika is the victim of endless queer stereotypes so he can probably empathize.
He wrote this song after watching a documentary about the Butterfly Lounge. A place where women get dressed up in sexy clothing and parade around so men can worship them. It’s the same thing that happens in clubs all over the world every Friday and Saturday except that these women happen to all be large.
His Big Girl character that he brings on stage, is just that, a character. Just like Billy Brown who’s living on the down low, his long suffering precautionary wife and the Lollipop Girl who is being chased around the forest by Chew Chew the Monkey.
The album is called Life in Cartoon Motion. It’s pop music. It’s supposed to be fun, not a social commentary.
Ridiculous. It’s one of the best all-around albums I’ve heard in a very long time. People who take offense to the song - well, the truth hurts, sorry. Do something about it. Put half as much effort into bettering yourself as you do bitching about being offended and I’m quite certain you would attain all your goals. And if you aren’t a “big girl”, then double shame on you for just feeding the fire. If it doesn’t concern you, shit your bloody trap. As a matter of fact, everyone shut their collective trap. It’s music. It’s freedom. God, the excess of political correctness is going to destroy this earth.
I agree, it is pop music and supposed to be fun but Mika’s whole image has become SO boring and tiresome now.
I saw him do a couple of live acoustic sets months and months before he became big and went to number one. When I saw him 8 months later at Koko Club I was greated by a circus. Fat girls handing out lollipops. Childish and playful but in a patronising way. He’s a classically trained singer with a great voice, but his management and PR people made him big (but not that beautiful..) too soon.
“Relax, Take it Easy” is the only decent song as it doesn’t patronise or titilate. Comedy / kitsch / themed acts have their 5 minutes of success - i don’t think Mika will last much longer if he doesn’t change his current image. It’s also quite sad that part-time blogger/part-time guitarist Brian May sees him as the next best thing since sliced bread. I wasn’t a Freddie Mercury fan but he was one of the best performers and comparing Mika to him is absolutely mental. So, to follow this Big Girl thread, is it affirming or offensive? Offensive to the ears and eyes, yes.
I appreciate your passion about Mika’s song, but just because it’s crap-pop doesn’t mean the lyrics aren’t significant. Just because something is music or “art” doesn’t mean it can’t be full of messages of prejudice, misogyny or racism. So it is with this Mika song; it’s a noble attempt (I suppose), but it still just propagates the same tired, boring fat-phobic rhetoric. I’m not just saying this because I think Mika is a crappy imitation of Freddie Mercury; if you read the lyrics, or look at the disappointing stage performances, it’s pretty disappointing.
momibecacn…
nice post…
As someone who is sick and tired of seeing endless music videos parading around half-dressed, sterotypically beautiful women, I say that Mika’s “Big Girls” is a breath of fresh air.
I am not saying I am all for the parading around of women’s bodies, I’m not, but how likely is it that this will end anytime soon? Are we supposed to hope that one day we’ll tune into the media and all material objectifying women has disappeared? I believe not. I don’t see at all why Mika is being crucified for stepping up and trying to make a song that promotes self-worth. I feel that so-called “fat-lib” needs all the help it can get, as its still so frequent to see on television the ugly girl as simply being overweight. I think people need to lighten up and see this video for what it is; a cheerful, catchy song for women of all sizes.